Stewart Downing has described being forced to play left-back under Brendan Rodgers as the lowest point of his Liverpool career, admitting it made him realise his time at Anfield was over. The West Ham midfielder, now 30, said his teammates even mocked him by calling him 'left back' as he struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar role.
Downing, who joined Liverpool from Aston Villa for £20m in 2011, was used at left-back by Rodgers during the 2012-13 season. He told reporters: 'I think so, yes. I was out of the team, so for me just to play and get back in the team was a big thing. At left-back it was obviously difficult, but it was a chance to get back into the team, so I had to go along with it. I wasn't happy playing left-back. It is not my natural position. But I knew from then it was the time for me to move.'
The England international, who moved to West Ham for £5m in 2013, admitted he thought his international career was over after two and a half years out of the squad. 'I was honest enough to think it had gone,' he said. 'It does hurt. You want to get picked for your country but I had bigger things to deal with at the time - I wasn't a regular in the team at Liverpool.'
Downing has since revived his career under Sam Allardyce, who deployed him in a midfield diamond formation, earning an England recall. He also backed his West Ham teammate Andy Carroll for a return to the Three Lions squad, saying: 'I think Roy (Hodgson) is a big admirer of him. I think when he's been fit he's picked him.'
